Street Smarts
by hot-bloodedgirl14
Summary: An one-shot about Soda and Steve. Please read and review.


Hey!! Here is a one-shot about Soda and Steve. Soda is telling Steve about him dropping out. Please Review, I want to know how I did on the characters. Thanks!!

The Song bit is "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw. I think the song is amazing and it fits with this one-shot perfectly. If you get a chance listen to it.

Disclamer: I do not own The Outsiders by S.E Hinton. Nor do I own the song "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw.

Enjoy!! Please Review.

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Street Smarts

**I don't want to be  
Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately  
All I have to do  
Is think of me and I have peace of mind  
I'm tired of looking 'round rooms  
Wondering what I've got to do  
Or who I'm supposed to be  
I don't want to be anything other than me**

**Gavin DeGraw**

We both leaped out of the entrance of the high school hooting and hollering. "C'mon, Soda, let's get away from this place!" Steve exclaimed, slapping me on the back.

"Remember we gotta wait for Two-Bit and Pony." I told him while walking to his car.

"Doesn't Two-Bit have a car?" He asked annoyed.

"It needs fixing; he's bringing it over tonight." I told him.

We both got on the hood of his car waiting for Pony and Two-Bit to come.

"Steve, got a smoke?" I asked nervously.

"Yep," He took out a pack and pulled one out. "What's wrong?" He asked while I was lighting it up.

"Nothing is wrong," I said, trying to force out a lie.

"Don't lie to me Soda; I'm your best friend. You don't smoke often, hell not like Pony's addiction. You smoke when you're nervous or trying to play cool. And you don't have to play cool for me. So that leaves you nervous about something." He pointed out, getting everything right.

"You caught me," I said lamely.

"What's wrong?" He probed again.

"If I tell you this, you can't tell anyone," I said. Even though I knew he would keep my secret without a doubt.

"What is it?" He asked again.

"I'm thinking about dropping out." I quietly confessed.

"W-what…" Steve's voice waivered. It was evident that I caught him off guard.

"I think I'm going to drop out," I said more firmly.

"Why? Are things that bad?" He asked. "If you guys need some help I'll give you my paycheck. But come on, Soda, dropping out?"

"You know I ain't book smart, I'm street smart." I told him. "It ain't that we're struggling too bad. It would help if I got a full-time job. Things would run a little bit better at least."

"Ain't Darry working hard enough?" Steve asked sourly.

"He is. I just want to help out." I told him.

"There's something more to this. I can tell." He told me bluntly.

"It's Pony's future I'm looking out for too. He's going places, getting out of this run-down town. I want more for him. Look at Darry; he was at the same place as Pony. Darry got a scholarship, but it wasn't enough to get him there. I want Pony to get there, and with this I could help him." My emotions were getting the best of me at the end of my confession. Just thinking about how Pony could get stuck here made me emotional.

"What about you? Soda, you can easily get out of town," he told me calmly.

"I'll never get out of this town, and I'm fine with that. Pony…" I shook my head. "Pony would never be happy staying here." I sighed. "The reason I'm telling you this is because I know you'll understand and support me in this."

I saw Two-Bit and Pony walking toward us. Two-Bit using wide gestures, while Pony was shaking his head at him.

"I'll support you, but I don't have to like it. When are you going to tell your brothers?"

"I'm going to tell Darry tonight. Then, if all goes well, we both will tell Pony." I explained my plan.

"The DX has a full-time job opening. Perhaps I could get you an interview, or the job." He offered to me.

"Thanks buddy, you're a good friend." I reached my hand over to him.

"No problem and you're a good friend, too, Soda." He slapped my hand and smiled at me.

And I knew that I would get support for this important moment. And I didn't need street smarts to tell me that.

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Hope you enjoyed that. Please Review, any feedback is wonderful.

Thanks for reading. Please review.


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